John V of Brittany

John V of Brittany (24 December 1389-29 August 1442) was Duke of Brittany from 1 November 1399 to 29 August 1442, succeeding John IV of Brittany and preceding Francis I of Brittany.

Biography
John was born in the Chateau de l'Hermine, France in 1389, the eldest son of John IV of Brittany and Joan of Navarre. Unlike his father, he inherited Brittany peacefully, becoming duke at the age of ten. He made peace with King Charles VI of France and married his daughter, Joan. In 1404, he defeated a French force near Brest, but he allied with the French against King Henry V of England when he invaded in 1415. John missed the Battle of Agincourt, but the French defeat there allowed for him to recapture Saint-Malo from the French. He played both sides of the war, accepting Henry as King of France, while also allowing for his family to fight for France. John was captured by the Penthievre family at a banquet in 1420, but he seized all of their castles and defeated them. In 1421, he sided with France after the English were defeated at the Battle of Bauge, and the duchy provided more than a third of Joan of Arc's army during her conquest of the Loire Valley. However, he allied with England and Burgundy in 1423, and then with the French in 1425, leading to the English formally declaring war on him in 1426. In 1427, he was forced to recognize Henry VI of England as King of France, leading to his expulsion from the French court. He died in 1442.